Now that he's mending fences with Florida's Republican establishment, gubernatorial nominee Rick Scott faces a full frontal assault from Democrats.
Democratic Governors Association executive director, Nathan Daschle, says Scott "represents the worst of American politics" and, in a letter this week, the DGA chief called on Republican Governors Association Chairman Haley Barbour to stop campaigning for Scott.
Barbour, the governor of Mississippi, has participated in post-primary unity events around Florida and was scheduled to speak at the state party's meeting in Orlando Friday night.
Daschle sent copies of his letter to former Gov. JebBush, RPOF Chairman John Thrasher and presidential aspirants NewtGingrich, MikeHuckabee and MittRomney.
The RGA this week pitched in $2 million to the Republican governor's race to bolster the state party's sagging coffers. The association previously plunked down $2 million to fund ads against Democratic nominee Alex Sink.
Firing back, the DGA funneled $1 million into its party's gubernatorial race. That's on top of a $1 million check the DGA sent in July, said DGA spokeswoman Emily Bittner.
"We're committed to this race and we intend to stay committed through November," Bittner said.
Sink spokeswoman Kyra Jennings confirmed Bittner's statement, saying, "The Democratic Governors Association is strongly supportive of Alex Sink and sees this race as a priority."
In addition to money, the DGA has stepped up the rhetorical attacks on Scott.
This week, the DGA circulated a less-than-flattering old quote from state Rep. Jennifer Carroll about the man who would select her as his running mate.
"We do not need that (governor's) seat to be a seat where you're learning, to be a seat where it's for personal gain, to be a seat where the residents and the citizens of the state of Florida will be negatively impacted because of a lack of vision," Carroll told a meeting of Clay County Republicans last month.
Carroll supported Bill McCollum in the gubernatorial primary. McCollum has yet to come around to Scott, saying he still has questions about the health-care executive's track record.
Bittner said Scott's tenure at Columbia/HCA, which was fined a record $1.7 billion by the federal government, "disqualifies him from being governor."
The outcome of the governor's race is pivotal for each party heading into the 2012 presidential election and during legislative and congressional redistricting next year. Given the outsize importance of this key swing-state contest, the governors' associations of both national parties are getting more deeply involved.
Having spent roughly $50 million of his personal fortune to oust McCollum, the party establishment's favored candidate, Scott will need the RPOF's organizational and fund-raising help to beat Sink. With the state party scraping for cash, the RGA is picking up some of the slack in what is shaping up to be an exceedingly tight race.
The first poll conducted after the primaries showed Scott with a razor-thin 45-44 lead over Sink. That Rasmussen survey was done before Carroll was selected.
Scott's campaign appears to be benefiting from the Republican Party's national effort to retain or capture governor's offices around the country.
"Electing more Republican governors has never been more important," the RGA website declares. "We know Republicans wont become Americas majority party again until we reclaim the majority of governorships.
"The RGA has a plan in place to do just that. It began with New Jersey and Virginia and continues with the 37 races this year."
A GOP ad that begins airing this weekend attempts to link Sink and President Barack Obama. The script of the "Whatever It Takes" spot goes like this:
Announcer: Attention Florida voters -- here are your official orders from Washington:
Obama: I need you to raise money, I need you to walk and knock on doors, whatever it takes to make sure that Alex Sink is the next governor of Florida.
Announcer: Maybe thats because Sink supported Obamas government takeover of health care, or because Sink supported Obamas trillion-dollar stimulus bill the one that gave us big debts and no jobs?
Announcer: What will Obama do to make sure liberal Alex Sink is the next governor of Florida?
Obama: Whatever it takes.
Democrats have a 600,000 advantage in voter registration statewide, but the party's abysmal turnout in the primary -- and polling that shows Republicans are favored on the so-called "generic ballot" -- suggest Sink may have an uphill fight.
Florida's 2.5 million independent, nonpartisan voters -- nearly one in four voters -- will likely be the target of both major parties. Polls indicate that independents, who tend to lean conservative in this state, are up for grabs and could hold the margin of victory.
Whatever the pundits and pollsters say, Jennings maintains that "Alex Sink will have the resources she needs to get her message out to the people of Florida ... This race is a priority for people who see that the future of Florida and the ability to rebuild Florida's economy is at stake in this election."
As for the Republicans, RPOF spokeswoman Katie Betta Gordon, said, "We are looking forward to working with our partners at the RGA to continue highlighting Alex Sinks ties to Barack Obamas liberal, left-wing agenda, which so drastically conflicts with the values of hard-working families across our state."
Scott's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
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Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
